A holistic model of wellness and prevention over the life span was presented by T. J. Sweeney and J. M. Witmer (1991) and J. M. Witmer and T. J. Sweeney (1992). Recent advances in research and theory related to wellness support modifications of the original model. The foundation for the model is examined, research related to each component is explored, and implications for use of the model as a basis for counseling interventions are presented.

Wellness conceptualized as the paradigm for counseling provides strength-based strategies for assessing clients, conceptualizing issues developmentally, and planning interventions to remediate dysfunction and optimize growth. Wellness counseling models have stimulated significant research that helps to form the evidence base for practice in the counseling field. The development of these models is explained, results of studies using the models are reviewed, and implications for research needed to further inform clinical practice and advocacy efforts are discussed. Wellness Counseling: The Evidence Base for Practice the public to engage in counseling practices that are based on rigorous research methodologies" (p. 9). Following a review of research in the counseling field, Sexton (2001) noted the urgent need for evidence-based models to inform clinical practice and remarked that "moving toward evidence-based counseling practice … has been, and continues to be, a struggle within counseling" (p. 499). The purpose of this article was to address that struggle in a positive manner, by presenting both wellness models based in counseling and a review of the evidence underlying those models. Journal of Counseling & DevelopmentAlthough several models of wellness have been proposed in the counseling literature (e.g., Chandler, Holden, & Kolander, 1992), in our search, we were able to locate empirical studies in support of only two counseling-based wellness models, the Wheel of Wellness (Myers, Sweeney, & Witmer, 2000;Sweeney & Witmer, 1991;Witmer & Sweeney, 1992) and the Indivisible Self (Myers & Sweeney, 2005a. The sources reviewed included 29 completed doctoral dissertations, several dissertations currently in progress, 19 published studies that were not based on dissertation research, and several additional studies in print or in press in counseling journals. Studies using other models and related assessment instruments (e.g., The Lifestyle Assessment Questionnaire and Testwell, both National Wellness Institute [1983] instruments based in Hettler's [1984] hexagon model) were excluded from this review because of their academic base in disciplines other than counseling. Implications for research needed to inform clinical practice in counseling with the goal of enhancing wellness and advocacy for greater wellness in various client populations are discussed. The Wheel of Wellness: A Theoretical ModelThe first wellness model was developed by Hettler, who is widely viewed as "the father" of the modern wellness movement. Although models such as Hettler's (1984) hexagon were presented as holistic, in practical use their emphasis was primarily on physical health. In addition, the concept of life span development was not included in these early models (B. Hettler, personal communication, December 1992). In a move away from the predominant models that were based in physical health sciences, Sweeney and Witmer (1991) and Witmer and Sweeney (1992) developed the first model of wellness that is based in counseling. Myers et al. (2000) ...

The Wheel of Wellness, a theoretical model of well-being, incorporates 16 dimensions of healthy functioning that can be assessed using the Wellness Evaluation of Lifestyle (WEL; J. E. Myers, T. J. Sweeney, & J. M. . A series of studies are reported concerning the development and validation of the WEL based on a large database. In the current study, exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses of the items and scales revealed 5 primary factors of well-being (Creative, Coping, Social, Essential, and Physical) and 1 superordinate factor identified as "Wellness."

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The extent to which practicing professional counselors perceive themselves as multiculturally competent and the basis for their training experiences in multicultural counseling have not been determined. This article reports the results of a survey on practicing professional counselors' perceptions of their multicultural competence and the nature of their pre‐ and in‐service professional preparation in this area. There was no significant difference in self‐perceived multicultural competence between graduates of Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) accredited and nonaccredited programs. However, ethnicity was related to higher levels of perceived multicultural competence.